Crystal Castles – Better than Viagra

26-07-2011

You might have already heard about this weird/nerdy duo. The formula is pretty simple but totally winning : heavy electronic music + good samples from vintage video games + a crazy sexy singer = Crystal Castles.

Originally from Toronto, Canada, these guys have been around for a few years now and claimed various times that there’s nothing hipster about them. Ok, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.

So you guys are not hipster, let’s see who is your audience… Well, nice jackets, nice Ray Ban, nice haircuts, nice jeans (certainly more expensive than my DSLR)… Nevermind, I’ll try not to be too judgemental. I just hoped that folks would destroy the place as soon as the show started. And “show” is probably the perfect word to describe a Crystal Castles’ live performance.

Get ready to take some in-your-face bass frequencies, get ready to die if you’re epileptic and, most of all, get ready to get a boner if you like good heavy music !

I see Crystal Castles as the incestuos child of Prodigy andNine Inch Nails. Unless you’re in the front row, you won’t see these guys’ faces. Ethan Kath (everything except drums and voice) is hidden by a large hoodie while Alice Glass (voice) is definitely not there to kid but to give everything she got. No breaks, no speeches… only pure energy and hits like the crazy track Baptism. One thing is certain, people are loving it!

The crazy crowded venue and super boiling temperature didn’t stop fans at all. It’s really more of a rave party than a rock show. However, don’t expect to appreciate all the lovely details that you can hear on their records. Alice’s voice even disappeared sometimes, but I guess we didn’t care that much… Plus, as if they weren’t already heavy enough, they’re supported by a drummer!

Do I feel it ? Hell yeah, I am shaking my body, closing my eyes to get it all in and starting to move like I am having seizures. I don’t even give a fuck about my annoyingly hipster neighbours who spent the entire show updating their facebook page, the losers.

At a Crystal Castles show, you don’t listen to the music, you live it. Frankly, I don’t really know how to describe it. I just remember that when I left the venue, I just felt a crazy need to fuck, fight… or ideally doing both at the same time. If that’s the Crystal Castles effect, then I love it and highly recommend it !

Thanks guys, that was my baptism !

PS : no pictures of the show because the band “didn’t want webzines to take pictures”… Given what I got from this show, I won’t complain!